anarchy

noun

(uncountable) The state of a society being without authorities or an authoritative governing body.

(countable) A chaotic and confusing absence of any form of political authority or government.

Confusion in general; disorder.

(uncountable, rare) The political theory that a community is best organized by the voluntary cooperation of individuals, rather than by a government, which is regarded as being coercive by nature.

Roots

anan- · Greek · not, without arkhos-arch · Greek · chief, ruler

Synonyms for anarchy

lawlessnessn chaosn anarchismn disorderlinessn misrulen anomien mobocracyn turmoiln outlawryn disorganizationn ochlocracyn rebellionn

Synonyms & related words for anarchy

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of anarchy — including lawlessness, chaos, anarchism, disorderliness, misrule, anomie. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to anarchy

Explore words related to anarchy — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include anarch, anarchic, anarchical, anarchically, anarchistic, anarchist, mayhem, pandemonium. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for anarchy

Common synonyms for anarchy include lawlessness, chaos, anarchism, disorderliness, misrule, anomie, mobocracy, turmoil — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does anarchy come from?

The word anarchy breaks down into 2 roots of Greek origin: an-, from Greek an (“not, without”); and -arch, from Greek arkhos (“chief, ruler”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.